Lanesborough OKs Towing Policy
LANESBOROUGH, Mass.— The Select Board approved a towing policy that doesn't require companies to have a storage facility in town or charge the customer for a cancelled call.
It states that when a police officer calls for a vehicle to be towed, it should be done by an authorized vendor on the rotation log. The log, which is limited to three towing companies, positions each approved tow in an order that allows them to receive succeeding calls.
Earlier this year, the board voted to allow businesses outside of Lanesborough to be on the towing list. The job is done by two town companies: Village Truck Sales and Sayers' Auto Wrecking, and both worked with the town on a formal policy.
"The last meeting that this was on as an agenda item, the action item was for us to refer any proposed changes to town council," Town Administrator Gina Dario explained at the May 27 meeting, adding that those proposed changes were incorporated into the document brought forward.
Selectman Timothy Sorrell motioned to delete the stipulation that towing companies must have a security storage area within town limits large enough to store one vehicle and one that states "Once a tow service has been dispatched and left its premises for the scene, the owner of said vehicle is responsible for the tow charge," if the owner was able to get the car started.
"I mean, we're putting a burden on the police department, who now has to hang around and play a bill collector," he said.
"And sometimes it happens, and it's part of doing business as far as 'Okay, tow service didn't get there. The guy got his car going, nothing we can do about it.'"
Chairman Michael Murphy asked if it then becomes the responsibility of the tow company, and Sorrell explained, "It's unfortunate, I guess it's a part of 'Sorry you didn't get here and the guy got his car going, there's nothing we can do about it.'"
Henry "Hank" Sayers said towns with a tow service have towed vehicles remaining in town.
"They made me get a place in Pittsfield, it cost me a lot of money over these years to have a place in Pittsfield and stuff," he said.
"To have some out-of-town truck to come in and get the benefits of Lanesborough's tows and not have a commitment to Lanesborough is on the sad side, is not supporting or promoting local businesses."
It was pointed out that while Pittsfield requires an in-town storage facility, not all towns do. When asked, General Manager at Village Truck Sales Jamie Szczepaniak reported that the Adams police don't require them to have one.
On the second amendment, Sayers asked if a tow gets up at 2 a.m. for a call, "You're saying we can get cancelled and we're supposed to turn around and go home?" He takes a credit card over the phone for part of the fee.
"No offense. I understand Hank's got to get a guy up, but I know it's going to be difficult," Sorrell said, speaking as the former police chief.
"…I just think that's gonna cause problems. And unfortunately, I don't run a tow business, but I think it's a cost of business."
Murphy noted that he doesn't really have an option, one way or another.
Two years ago, Police Chief Robert Derksen was contacted by a local tow agency that wanted to be put on the rotation. He brought a sample policy to the board in March 2023 and returned with the same one in February.
"I think the kind of consensus at that time with the Select Board at that time was that we would limit it to businesses in the town of Lanesborough for tow agencies," he said.
"However, it was also mentioned that we really should have a written — it's almost like a procurement policy as far as vendors. In this case, tow agencies."
